TOP 5: THIS IS 40 Interviews, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, PAIN AND GAIN Trailer, Damon Lindelof on PROMETHEUS Sequel and 1952, THIS IS THE END

I’ll be honest, I did very little preparation for this week’s Top 5. With the all-encompassing destruction of the Mayan Apocalypse staring us in the face, I kind of figured what’s the point? No one’s going to care about movie news when Smoke from Mortal Kombat III’s fatality proves prophetic and Earth explodes, right? Alas, as is so often the case, the Mayans failed us and I was forced to pull things together at the last minute.

In this, our first post-Mayan calendar installment, we have This Is 40interviews with Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, and Paul Rudd, a new teaser trailer and images for Star Trek Into Darkness, the first trailer for Michael Bay‘s Pain and Gain, the scoop on Damon Lindelof‘s lack of involvement in the Prometheussequel and new info on 1952, and the first red-band clip and poster from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s This Is the End. Brief recaps and links to each are waiting after the jump.

1. THIS IS 40 Interviews with Judd Apatow and More

Judd Apatow’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin is an all-time favorite of mine. While none of his films have surpassed that high point to date, I still find myself enjoying the writer/director/producer’s uniquely endearing mix of crude and heartfelt comedy. That said, I will be seeing This Is 40in theaters in spite of my esteemed colleague Matt’s lukewarm review. If you share a similar interest in Apatow’s work then I fully recommend you take a minute to check out Christina’s press day interview with Apatow and press conference recap with stars Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd.

2. New Teaser Trailer and Images for STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

In what has developed into a trend, this week brought us even more Star Trek Into Darknessgoodness with this new teaser trailer and these new images. Be sure to check out the trailer closely as Abrams has, in classic Abrams form, hidden the secret to launching the film’s viral campaign within it. Or, if you lack patience and hate being observant, you can let us give you the heads up on what to look for in the trailer within our own write-up. Finally, for our video game fans, be sure to click here for some intial details regarding the release of the cleverly entitled Star Trek: The Video Game.

3. First Trailer for PAIN AND GAIN

Dear, Mr. Bay: I understand and respect that your kids’ kids’ kids’ financial well-being is ensured largely because of it, but please leave the Transformersfranchise behind. You’re a talented guy. Real talented, in fact. And just look at this first trailer you cut for Pain and Gain. It looks really good. Let’s be friends and talk more about ways you can continue doing stuff like this while allowing Chevrolet to sell their own cars. Best, Jason.

4. Damon Lindelof Not Writing PROMETHEUS Sequel; Gives Info on 1952

While Steve was sleuthing around Bad Robot for a Star Trek Into Darknessevent not long ago he picked up some interesting bits of info from writer/producer Damon Lindelof regarding the Prometheussequel and the Brad Bird-directed 1952. For more on why he’s not writing the next Prometheus entry click here. To read what he learned about 1952, including how Lindelof snagged Bird for the director’s chair, click here.

5. First Red-Band Clip and Poster for Seth Rogen’s THIS IS THE END

It seems only fitting to end the Top 5 that was never supposed to happen with the first red-band clip/trailer and poster from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s apocalyptic directorial debut, This Is the End. In case you’re reading this from work and don’t want to partake in the NSFW content on display, here’s the jest of things: 1) working on Saturdays sucks so you should probably quit your job immediately and 2) all of the actors in the film play themselves, aliens are having their way with humans, RIP Michael Cera, and there’s lots of cursing.